The early years of college are great for helping you learn how to study, but law school is a whole different ballgame. You’re going to need to buckle down and study every night if you want to get the most out of law school, and that means you may have to miss some social outings or cancel your Netflix subscription for a few months. With all that said, you’ll get more out of studying, and you’ll find yourself less stressed if you come in with a study plan. Today, we share four tips for developing and sticking to a study plan for law school.
Law School Study Tips
1. Know Yourself – Hopefully you already have an idea of what works best for you in terms of what time of the day is best to study. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Do you like to study for five straight hours or for 45 minutes 5-6 times a day? Look at your school schedule and your recreational activities and find a regular time period that works best for you.
2. Stick To Your Schedule – If you’re planning on studying from 8pm-11pm each night, make sure you stick to that schedule. Don’t make plans with friends or volunteer to sub on your co-worker’s kickball team. Your friends and family will understand that law school takes a big commitment, and your study time is important for you. There will be plenty of time to catch up with friends down the road, but if you get in a habit of skipping study sessions, you’re going to find it harder to hit the books in the future. Prioritize your study time, even if it means studying from home. You may be able to stick to your schedule better if you decided to buy online office furniture that you can decorate your home with as if you have a professional set up, you have a better chance at being able to focus on the task at hand. The time you spend studying is important, so it could be beneficial for you to use the time wisely.
3. Take Time For Yourself – This may sound counterintuitive based on the above point, but even though you’re hitting the books hard, you still need to find time for balance in your life. Meet up with a friend between classes for lunch, or wake up a half hour earlier to go to the gym before hitting the books. Your brain is going to be stressed by your coursework, but you need to be sure you’re also working in some recreational time for your mind and body. You’ll find it easier to study if your body and mind get some stimulation other than studying and sleeping.
4. Take Advantage of Your Resources – The syllabus will be your best friend throughout law school. You’ll be able to see when assignments are due, what and when you’ll be covering the material, and when key dates are. As soon as you have this schedule, use it to your advantage. Ask off of work or carve out more study time as tests approach, and see if you can make it to office hours throughout the week. The syllabus isn’t just a list of dates, it’s a timeline you can use to your advantage to prepare for the semester.
